


Every Single Moment

by Tarlan



Series: Every Single Moment [1]
Category: Eureka, Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Canon Het Relationship, Episode: s03e04 I Do Over, M/M, Post-Series, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-24
Updated: 2012-10-24
Packaged: 2017-11-16 23:22:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/544952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When everyone eventually gave up on Nathan Stark, Jack turned to the only person left who could make a difference.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Every Single Moment

Jack stood at the entrance to the steel and glass tower that dominated the skyline near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, seeing the hustle and bustle of tourists in their casual clothes and businessmen and women in sharp suits. He looked down at his own clothing, rumpled from taking the red eye from Washington. He felt out of place even though he was wearing his best suit for job interviews, the same suit he had planned to wear to Stark's wedding.

Stark.

The name STARK INDUSTRIES was plastered in large neon letters across the building, and etched in metal behind the massive reception desk that held half a dozen receptionists but it wasn't the same Stark that Jack had once known. Deciding to go in, he made to step forward but someone else pushed past with a snide comment.

"Go gawk elsewhere," the man murmured on passing. "Damn tourists."

Jack hesitated, wondering for the billionth time why he had come here when he was supposed to be job hunting after being fired as Sheriff. Perhaps if he'd been looking for work in the private sector then he'd have a plausible excuse but he'd already pinned his hopes on the Homeland Security job interview taken yesterday in Washington. There was no reason for him to be in San Francisco at all. No. He had his reasons for being here, and they were very personal.

Taking a deep breath, he walked up to the reception desk and waited in line, slowly shuffling forward. Ahead of him, the majority of potential visitors were being politely declined, even when they became loud and abusive, like the man who had brushed passed him earlier. Jack winced as security stepped in to remove the man, frog-marching him back out the doors. Eventually, it was his turn and he stepped up to the receptionist. She was young but Jack could see the hard glint of intelligence in her otherwise friendly eyes. He'd spent enough time around a town full of geniuses to recognize that look.

"My names Sher... Jack Carter. I need to speak to Mr. Stark concerning Nathan Stark."

She stared hard at him, smile still perfectly polite, before tapping information into her computer. Whatever came up made her eyes widen just a fraction.

"I can make you an appointment for the seventeenth at-."

"No. I need to see him today. Please."

"I'm afraid that won't be possible as Mr. Stark already has several important engagements. The seventeenth-."

"Will be too late." He swallowed hard. "Please. We're talking about his _cousin_. His family."

"I'm sorry, sir. Dr. Nathan Stark is deceased and-."

"I don't think he is."

"I'm sorry, sir, but-." She glanced at her screen, fingers tapping again.

Jack noticed movement and saw a security guard move away from the wall towards him. He sighed. It had always been a long shot anyway, and he whispered a soft apology to his Stark. At least he had tried.

"Sir, if you'd like to come with me."

"It's okay. I know my way out," he stated bitterly, and started to turn away but the guard reached for him, lightly touching his arm.

"Sir. The elevator is this way."

Jack shot a look towards the receptionist, catching her giving him a fleeting, curious glance before turning back to the next person in line. He wondered how unusual it was for anyone to gain immediate access without an appointment. Jack followed the security guard to a bank of elevators and saw him enter a code and key, followed by another code. The door opened but Jack was the only person allowed to enter that car. He cleared his throat and looked down as the car rose quickly, almost startled when the doors opened into a place that looked nothing like an office.

He stepped out and found a lovely, slender woman waiting for him who looked vaguely familiar.

"Mr. Stark will be here in a moment. Coffee?"

"Oh God, yes."

She gave him a genuine smile at his outburst and, moments later, handed him a coffee that was almost as good as Vincent's. He hadn't been invited to sit so he stood as casually as possible considering his nervousness, cradling the cup as he tried to force his errant emotions under control. A man stepped into the spacious room, instantly recognizable as the playboy billionaire, Tony Stark. Looking at him up close, Jack could see a slight family resemblance around the eyes, and they both had the same dark hair coloring. The woman took the coffee cup from Jack but Stark didn't hold out his hand, and Jack didn't offer his.

"I've had people try to gain access to me before by citing my cousin's name. They never make it beyond reception, so I have to ask myself why I've let you all the way up here?"

"Because I was there when it happened. I saw every single moment of..." He trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

"Yes. I saw the full report and video feeds. I recognized your name."

"Words on paper can't tell you exactly what I saw, and neither can video in this instance. Wrong angle."

Tony Stark tilted his head, curious. "Then tell me now."

"When the proton... photon... When they synced it back, Stark... Nathan... froze. I was standing right in front of the chamber. He didn't just vanish in a bright light like it states in the reports. He dissolved into a billion tiny shards of light that swirled upwards before vanishing in a flash."

Tony Stark stared at him as if expecting more.

"They've given up on him," Jack stated. "They think he was erased from time. They think he's dead, and they're going to dismantle the whole laboratory next week."

"But you don't think he is dead."

"Maybe when they made that photon... whatever, go faster. Maybe they sped him up too. Maybe he still in there, going too fast for us to see."

Tony stared at him longer, and Jack could now see the family resemblance in the intensity of that gaze.

"I never really knew my cousin. Our fathers were brothers and had a falling out over a girl before either of us was born. My mother, actually."

"That's not his fault. He's still _family_."

Tony turned to the lovely woman who Jack was sure was Pepper Potts, if his ability to recall names and faces was correct. Stark tapped his fingers against his leg for a moment before sighing.

"I want that laboratory brought here. Place a quantum force field around the chamber before removal and transportation, just in case." He looked back, tilting his head in intrigue at Jack. "If you need a job?"

"No. Thank you. I'm expecting an offer from Homeland Security any day now."

Tony nodded, eyebrows raised, perhaps a little surprised as if he had considered this all just a ploy for Jack to get his foot in the door of Stark Industries security. Jack stepped back, nodding his thanks before turning away, aware that there was nothing left to say, especially to a man who had never known Nathan Stark, his own cousin.

"Carter."

Jack stopped by the elevator and looked back.

"It's an interesting puzzle, Mr. Carter, but I can't make you any promises."

"I know."

Jack stepped into the elevator, and minutes later he was back in the street, walking away. He had done what he could for Nathan, and it was now time to get on with his own life. It was up to Nathan's genius cousin to try to save him where the others had failed.

****

With three years, a son, and another failed marriage behind him, Jack stared out from the Sheriff's office across the snow-covered, almost empty Main Street, debating on whether to go for lunch.

During the past year and a few months, Henry's transition from Mayor to Director of Global Dynamics had gone surprisingly smoothly, with no bad feelings from Fargo. If anything, Douglas had seemed strangely relieved not to have that weight on his shoulders any more, even though he'd actually done a good job. G.D. would never be problem free but he'd become used to that over the years.

Instead, Jack's main problem had been Allison. He'd won over her brother but the rest of her family had proved a tough sell, and _Death by Dull_ didn't come close to describing his interactions with them at the Blake Family Christmas gathering this time last year. They had nothing in common except for Eureka and Nathan Stark. But Nathan was long dead and not a subject that anyone wanted to raise - except for the Blakes, and only then to make snide comparisons between him and Nathan, where he fell short every time. It had added additional tension to his already strained marriage, knowing he did not have the approval of the rest of her family.

It also didn't help that all that time competing with Nathan had blinded him to a simple truth taken out of an old science fiction show of all things, and to paraphrase: _Having was not so great a thing as wanting_. He had wanted Allison so hard it hurt, but once he had won her over and made her his wife, the cracks had started to appear in their relationship. She was still incredible - smart and beautiful, and she had glowed while carrying his baby - and perhaps it had been just the pregnancy hormones talking, but she had begun to resent him for not being smart enough to appease her family, and he had started to resent her for not being... Nathan.

And that was the real shocker, dragged out from the depths of his mind by some virtual reality therapy device similar to the one that had almost killed him a few years back. He learned that though he had loved her - and still did - he had never been _in love_ with Allison. He had been in love with Nathan all along, and as his mind had been in such complete denial of those feelings, he'd convinced himself that it was Allison he wanted, not Nathan. After Nathan disappeared, his mind had gone along with the pretense that Nathan was still out there somewhere, wanting to protect himself from the pain of loss. Plus it had given him another reason to pursue Allison, to honor Nathan's request to look after her.

Total denial on all counts. It certainly explained why he had never grieved for Nathan until after the therapy.

Now, with his eyes wide open, Jack sighed at the too familiar pain in his chest as he thought of Nathan and all those lost chances. Not that he'd ever really stood a chance as both Allison and Nathan had been out of his league. Both of them brilliant and beautiful, making a perfect couple, just as Abby had stated all those years back. He was surprised that Allison had even accepted the marriage proposal but wondered if she would have ever gone through with it had they not been minutes away from death by drowning.

After learning the results of the V.R. therapy, Allison had moved out of the bunker and back into her old house. At least she had let him see the kids early this Christmas morning, before Grant whisked her off to her parents in his fancy limousine, planning to stay there with her until after the New Year. He was grateful for that, having hated the thought of not seeing his son on his first Christmas, or sharing part of the day with Kevin and Jenna, whom he loved just as dearly. It was already bad enough that Zoe was spending this Christmas in L.A. with her mother, but she had promised to stay with him over the New Year.

He shivered in the cold, watching his warm breath plume in the frigid air.

He thought of his friends and the offers they had made for him to join them today. He had convinced them that he was fine by himself, plus he owed it to Jo to be on call this time around. She had covered last Christmas, and this year Jo and Zane were spending a few days with Zane's family, to show off their two-month-old daughter. Fargo was heading out to Area 51 with Holly, and Henry had a quiet, romantic day planned with Grace, and Jack had no intention of intruding on those plans.

With the whole of G.D. shut down for the day, the chances of anything going wrong was pretty remote but Jack had learned never to take anything in this town for granted.

The sparkling lights of Café Diem beckoned him, and he made his decision. Vincent had never been one to celebrate any day alone, preferring the company of others and playing the good host even on Christmas Day.

Entering the café, Jack spotted a few people seated around the roaring, holographic fire that generated real heat and gave them a perfunctory wave. Vincent was at the counter, dressed in seasonal clothing with a small pair of remarkably effective antlers protruding from the green and red elf hat on his head.

"Sheriff Carter!" Vincent handed him a mug of non-alcoholic mulled wine before putting his hands together in a pleading gesture. "It's Christmas Day. Please consider the traditional turkey special."

Jack shrugged even though a Cheeseburger was his go-to comfort meal. "Yeah, why not. It is Christmas."

It was worth the sacrifice for the brilliant smile Vincent gave him. Jack checked around and sank into a back booth alone, glad he'd brought some paperwork with him. For once he didn't feel great company for anyone, and hated the thought of his misery ruining someone else's day. The traditional turkey was excellent, improving his mood, though he passed on the dessert and just asked for coffee. With his cellphone on the tabletop, linked to the office phone, he knew he wouldn't miss a call, so he started in on the paperwork, welcoming the occasional interruption from well-wishers.

Engrossed, he didn't register the sudden change in the atmosphere in the café, or notice the other person approaching until they slid into the bench seat opposite. Looking up to offer a friendly greeting, Jack froze in shock.

"Nathan?"

"Surprise!"

Jack flicked his gaze to the rest of the café; the shocked looks aimed at the man seated opposite proved that he hadn't gone insane and was seeing the ghost of Christmas Past, come to haunt him for all his old mistakes. He blinked and looked back but Nathan was still seated there. Vincent came over and his hands were shaking badly as he placed a coffee down in front of Stark, almost spilling it.

Nathan pointed at the paperwork. "You're going to need a 924 stroke B... in triplicate."

"A... Mechanical dog incident?"

Nathan sighed and rolled his eyes. "Nothing changes. That's a 942 stroke C. I mean a _Back from the Dead_ form." He opened his arms wide above the tabletop. "I'm back!" His voice lowered. "And I believe I have you to thank for that."

"Move over," another man ordered, and Nathan slid further across the seat, allowing the other man to sit. "I hear the food here is to die for."

Jack recognized him instantly, recalling that day in San Francisco so clearly. He had wondered about it over the years, aware that Tony Stark had pulled strings to claim all the equipment in the Time Maintenance laboratory a few weeks after the time loop incident, but unsure if he had played any part in it. The incident had occurred before Founder's Day, and that trip back in time that had changed the future - and his past - though not for Nathan. He had the credit card receipt for a plane fare but had attended an interview in San Francisco that day so there was no way to confirm he'd ever gone to Stark Industries without alerting the wrong people to his lack of memories of this time line. It had been hard enough covering up some of the mistakes the group had made over the years, but at least they'd had each other's backs for the most part.

In his timeline, perhaps even in both time lines, he had gone to Stark Industries alone, and had never spoken a word of it to anyone.

"You did it. You got him back." Jack stared at the man he recalled meeting that day, seeing the differences in just three years, including the glowing circular power cell embedded in his chest.

"Have to admit it was very much a side project because I didn't..." Tony sighed. "I didn't believe you at first. But events over the past year sort of... re-shaped my priorities."

Jack's eyes had slid away from Tony, back to Nathan, drinking in the sight and scent and sound of a man he had thought lost forever. The temptation to reach out and touch, just to confirm his other senses, was so strong that he could barely restrain himself. Nathan had other ideas though, and placed his hand over Jack's, turning his hand until their palms were together and lacing his fingers through Jack's.

"I'm-."

"I told you," Nathan half-turned to his cousin without taking his eyes of jack. "We've broken his brain."

The remark snapped Jack out of his temporary brain freeze.

"What? No, you haven't. It's takes more than..." Jack swallowed as he realized he'd instantly fallen back into the old pattern of sniping with Nathan. He unlinked their fingers and slid away, voice cracking as he looked away. "I have to go."

"Carter?" Jack had almost made it to the door but froze upon hearing his name called out. "Forgetting something?"

Nathan held up the cellphone and looked pointedly at the paperwork strewn across the tabletop, and the gun belt, with gun still holstered, placed in the far corner of the bench seat where Jack had been sitting. He'd taken it off to be comfortable while he had lunch and did his paperwork, leaving it within easy reach in case of an emergency. Jack glanced at Tony, seeing the mirth in his eyes, and knew he had no choice but to go back. It was his gun, for chrissake, and he had never, _ever_ forgotten his gun before.

Walking back, he grabbed the gun belt, pocketed his cellphone, and accepted the papers that Nathan had tidied into a pile for him, faltering on the threshold as he heard Tony state, "Well that was interesting."

****

Jack made it back to the station and hunched over as soon as he was out of public view, breath coming in short gasps as he fumbled in a drawer for a paper bag. He had never expected to have use one on himself, keeping them for the highly anxious geniuses who had a tendency to hyperventilate when dragged into the Sheriff's office.

Eventually, he calmed down and sank into his seat behind his desk, tensing up when he heard the outside door open and close.

Nathan stood in the doorway, hands deep in the pockets of his expensive suit, looking cold but otherwise no different from that last day, before he dissolved into sparkles of light and disappeared.

"Jack."

"I'll get that form." Jack jumped up and began hunting through the cabinet for a form he'd used only a few times during his time as Sheriff. He pulled it out and froze when Nathan came up behind him, reaching around to take it out of Jack's hand and place it on the desk behind them. The hands came back, arms wrapping around Jack, pressing palm-flat against his chest as Nathan leaned over Jack's shoulder to lay his cheek against Jack's.

"I know why you couldn't let me go." Nathan tightened his hold. "Jack." He nuzzled against Jack's cheek and throat. "I had a long time to think while I was trapped outside the time stream." He pulled back and forced Jack to turn round to face him. "I know why we argued so much, and why it was always the highlight of my day."

The large hands had moved up to frame his face. "I missed you, Jack. Every single moment," he breathed as he leaned in and kissed him.

Every wall Jack had erected over the years to protect himself came tumbling down, and he sobbed into the kiss, reaching up to hold onto Nathan desperately.

Behind them, barely registering as Jack lost himself in Nathan, he thought he heard Tony Stark say, "Definitely interesting." 

But Nathan was in his arms, mouth pressed hard against his in a heated kiss, hands splayed out across his back holding him tight, and Jack never wanted to let go of him again.

END


End file.
